Envelop-sealing machine.



A. B. CRAWFORD. ENVELOP SEALING MACHINE. APPucATmN man Auml. 1915.

1,238, 1 1 l Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I,

y .Wj 'HHH l tra g 37 @MU/KM A. B. CRAWFORD.

ENVELOP SEALING MACHINL APPLlcAHoN msu Auml. 1915.

Patented Aug. 28, 191? 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIl

`properly handled by the machine.

ALBERT IB. CRAWFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENVELOP-SEALING MACHINE.

Application filed August 11, 1915.

To all 107mm it may concern.'

Be it known thatI, ALBERT B. CRAWFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Sealing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to envelop sealing machines, and belongs more specifically to that type of such machines which employ a rotary moistenng blade that dips into a water well and engages beneath the gummed Hap of the envelop to meisten the latter and, in cooperation with a feed roll, advances the envelop endwise into the nip of a pair of sealing rolls by which the moistened flap is pressed down onto the body of the envelop and the sealed envelop is delivered from the machine.

The general object of the invention is to produce a machine of this type characterized by increased simplicity and reliability of operation as compared with known machines. Another object is to provide a machine wherein the envelops to be sealed may be mounted in a bunch or stack on the machine and will be successively engaged and sealed by the latter, without requiring any special positioning or other handling of the individual envelops to insure their being This latter is a very desirable feature in a machine of this sort, since it represents a great saving of time and labor in the manipulation of the machine.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the artfrom a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated one practical and approved embodiment of the invention, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine, showing the foremost of a bunch of envelops in position to be sealed;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view at rightk angles to Fig. 1 as seen on the line 2-2 of the latter ligure;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation as viewed from the rightof Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is a top plan with the top stationary plate of the machine removed to .disclose the underlying parts.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates Specification of Letters Patent.

Ipurpose hereinafter disclosed. -20 is iiXedly journaled in' suitable bearings -in the base 5 and top plate 19, while the Patented Aug.--28, 1917.

serial No. '44,8911

the base plate, and 6 designates as an entirety the frame structure resting on the base plate 5 and in which the several operative parts are mounted. 7 designates a water well at one end of the base 5, and S designates a feed chute for unsealed enveland handle 111. Keyed to the inner end of shaft 12 is a moistening blade 15. This blade, as will be seen by-reference to Fig. 1, is not a complete circular disk (as is common in machines of this type) but has an arcuate periphery 15 comprising only a segment of a circley and a slightly inclined or conical face, its opposite face being flat or preferably concave. Coperating with the moistening blade 15 is a vertical conical roller 16 journaled at its lower end in a bearing 17 formed on the shaft bearing 10 and at its upper end in a block 18 that is slidably mounted in and transversely of top plate 19; the bearing block 18 being normally urged inwardly by a spring 20 to thereby maintain the roller 16 yieldably in rolling Contact with the conical or inclined face of the moistening blade 15.

Beyond the moistening blade and feed roller are mounted on upright spindles 20 and 21 a pair of rubber covered sealing rolls 22 and 23 respectively. It will be .v

noted by reference to Fig. 3 that the spindles 20- and 21 are not vertical but are slightly inclined from the vertical, for a The spindle spindle 21 is journaled in lowery and upper Vblocks 24 and 25 (Fig. 3) that are slidably mounted in and movable transversely of the top base 5 and plate 19 respectively and are elastically forced inwardly by springs 26 and 27, whereby the roller 23 is yieldably held in rolling contact with its mating roller 22.

Fast on the drive shaft 12 is a bevel gear 28 that meshes with a bevel pinion 29 keyed on one end of a horizontal shaft 30 that is supported in a suitable bearing 31 of the frame and carries at its opposite end a bevel pinion 32Vmeshing with and driving a bevel pinion 33 keyed to the spindle 20 of the sealing roll 22. By the mechanism` last described, the turning of the crank 13 lsimultaneously actuates the moistening blade and the sealing and delivery rolls.

Secured to the inner face of an inclined.

portion of one of the side walls of the water well 7 is a squeegee 84: (Fig. 2) that rubs against the flat peripheral portion of 'the outer face of the moistening yblade to prevent the moistening of the contents of ythe envelop during the engagement of the moistening blade with the latter. Also supported by a depending bracket 3,5 (Fig. 1) from the top plate 19 is another squeegee 36 that rubs against the surfacevof the feed Vroller 16 to prevent the application of moisture to theouter side of the flap of the envelop. Secured to the upright portion of the main frame in which the transmission shaft 30 is 4journaled is a thin elastic wiper.

blade '37 (Fig. 4) that cooperates with a flat vertical guide wallfBS of the frame to ironl out the inoistened portion of the flap and eXclude any surplus imoisture.V

Integral with thet'op plate 19 and located in advance ofthe feed roller l'is a horizonltal channel guide 39 that is engaged by the the uniform forward Lfeedingof the envelops along 'the chute a `follower device is preferably employed, 'although hand pressure by the operator may be used. 1n Fig. Q 'l have indicated in dotted lines such la followerde- Vvice consisting simply ,of a roller 4:1 that Vrests Vagainst 'the rearinost envelop of the stach and, 'since the chute l8 is inclined, exerts a light and uniform gravity effect 'tending to crowd the 'stack of lenvelops toy:ward the lower end of the chute. The upper forward corner of the foremost kenvelop Yrests against the `surface of the feed roller '16, as indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2, so l.that the effect of the follower is to not only continuously advance the bunch of ei'ivelops 'as "the latter are successively `withdrawn and put th'roughthe machine, but also to slightly l'bend the eni'felops so fasit'o cau'sethe depend gfllap of the iforemost envelop to swing :away from the body of the envelop and 'overhang the path V"of travel of the periphery of the moistened blade. This latter -turnsin the direction 'indicated by lthe arrow"in"fFig. 1 sotl'i'at, as "the moistening Vblade rotates,

"onelpoint or corn'er thereof, constituting the 'ii'cklup v'portionindicated by 1,5a in Fig. '1,

enters behind the flap, picks the 'foremost envelop `up carrying its upper `edge into en- 'envelop is shot forwardly from between said fing means ilocated Abeyond said blade;

vanced eiidwise between them. The inclined Vor conical. surface of the moistening blade,

which dips in the water well, carries up sulficient water to thoroughly meisten the gummed side of the flap as the latter travels between said moistening blade andthe feed roll 16.` As the envelop advances, the-flap overhangs the inner side of Vtheithin wall 38 while the body of the. envelop overhangs the outer side, so that said wall 38 protects the contents from any lsurplus moisture (which is removed by the brush or lsqueegee 37) until the forward end of the envelop has come into the nip of the `sealing rolls 22 and 23. In'passing through the latter rollslthe mois- 1 tened flap is securely sealed to the back side ofthe body of the envelop; and in passing between said rolls the lenvelop is shifted from a substantially vertical position to a slightly inclined position, so that as the j rolls it comes to rest always face up on the ftable or other support on which the machine is mounted.V

It is believed that the nature, construction, mode of operation and'advantages of 95 my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description; and since vit is obvious to `those acquainted with the art that ythe attainment of these advantages' is not dependent upon the precise specic form of apparatus shown and described, I do not limit the Vinvention to the particular embodiment illustrated, but reserve the'ri-ght to make such detail variations and changes',

as may Ifairly fall within thev spirit and purview of the invention as defined in vthe-appended claims. K

I claim: Y A1. 1n an envelop sealing machine, the combination of a frame,.a water well, a roy110 ktary "moistening blade having jan arcuate Vsegmental peripherydipping into said well,

means for supporting an envelop with its `flap overhanging the path of the periphery lof said blade, Vmeans cooperating with said blade for feeding the envelop forward,'and

sealing means located beyond-saidblade.

2. YIn an envelop sealing machine, the

-combination'of a frame, a water well,ja ro-l l ltary moistening blade having an arcuate segmental periphery dipping into SaidvVell, a laterally extending chute opposite said vbladeadapted to support-a bunch offenvelops standing on edge, a follower deviceservl ing'to press the envelops toward said@ blade 125 and cause the flap of the foremost lenvelop to Ioverhang'the'path of the periphery'of'the latter, meansv coperating with said blade for feeding the envelop forward, and seal- 3. In an envelop sealing machine, the combination of a frame, a moistening water well carried thereby, a rotary blade having an arcuate segmental periphery mounted in said frame, means for supporting an envelop with its flap overhanging the path of travel of the periphery of said blade, means for coperating with said blade for feeding the envelop forward, and sealing means located beyond said blade.

4. In an envelop sealing machine, the combination of a frame, a water well, a rotary moistening blade having an arcuate Isegmental periphery and an inclined side dipping into said well, a laterally extending chute opposite the other side of said blade serving to support a bunch of envelope standing' on edge, a follower device serving to press the envelops toward said blade and cause the flap of the foremost envelop to overhang the path of the periphery of the latter, a conical roller cooperating with the inclined side of said blade to feed the envelops forward, and sealing means located beyond said blade and roller.

5. In an envelop sealing machine, the combination of a frame, a lateral chute for supporting a bunch of unsealed envelops standing on edge, a water well, a rotary blade having an arcuate segmental periphery dipping into said well and operating at each rotation to pick up the foremost envelop, moisten the gummed iiap thereof and feed it forward, a feed-roll yieldably held in rolling contact with said blade and cop erating with the latter in feeding the envelop forward, a guide for the upper edge of the envelop in advance of said feed-roll,

and a pair of sealing rolls located beyond said feederoll.

6. In an envelop sealing machine, the combination of a frame, a lateral chute for supporting a bunch of unsealed envelope standing on edge, a water well, a rotary moistening blade dipping into said well and operating at each rotation to pick up the foremost envelop, meisten the gummed flap thereof and feed it forward, a feed-roll yield-ably held in rolling contact with said blade and cooperating with the latter in feeding the envelop forward, a guide for the upper edge of the envelop in advance of said feed-roll, a" pair of sealing rolls located beyond said feed-roll, a vertical guide wall located between said feed-roll and sealing rolls and engaging the envelop between the body and iiap thereof to direct it into the nip of the sealing rolls, and a wiper engag ing the outer side of the flap as the latter passes along said vertical guide wall to smooth said flap and squeeze out any surf plus moisture.

7. In an envelop sealing machine, the combination with means for successively moistening the gummed flaps of envelops and simultaneously feeding the latter endwise in a substantially vertical plane, of a pair of sealing rolls between which the envelops pass to seal the flaps, said sealing rolls being mounted on axes slightly inclined from the vertical whereby the envelops are delivered in a slightly sidewise canted position so that they uniformly fall the same side up.

ALBERT B. CRAWFORD.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C. 

